In the Pines
by BeautifulPixy
Summary: A DB in the woods seems to be a wild goose chase but then.....
1. The Goose chase

AUTHOR: BeautifulPixy  
  
RATING: PG13  
  
SPOILERS: None  
  
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Enjoy!! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jaci spotted Brass walking down the hallway toward her. She caught his attention and started toward him, pointing behind him as she walked. "Turn it around, bud. I'm ready to roll."  
  
Brass frowned slightly, "Where is Grissom? Isn't he supposed to come with us?"  
  
"Nope, he changed his mind. Said to call him if we really needed him. Had something more important to do I guess." Jaci replied, not trying to hide her disappointment. "Oh, we have to check out a possible DB in the forest too."  
  
"What?!" Brass looked at Jaci like she was crazy. "Explain." They continued to the parking lot.  
  
Jaci shrugged, "Grissom just got some weird call about a possible dead body in the forest. Probably nothing. He said the caller sounded stoned. I told him we would check it out since we were driving out of town anyway. No sense in anyone else having to drive all the way out there on a wild goose chase."  
  
"Well, I can't be hunting wild geese. I haven't renewed my license." Brass stated sarcastically as he opened the driver side car door. "Hey, why do I have to suffer walking through the woods just so you can score points with Grissom? Or shall I say score with Grissom?" Brass smirked as Jaci flipped him the middle finger.  
  
A half an hour later, Brass and Jaci had arrived at the "maybe" crime scene. As soon as Jaci had exited the car and started walking toward the wood line, she was berated by a very unpleasant sound. "AhhhhHONK! AHHHHHONK!"  
  
Jaci spun around, "What the hell are you doing??!!" she hissed at Brass.  
  
"That's my goose call. Like it?" he replied.  
  
Jaci couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Well, it is obvious you have never actually heard a goose before. Come on. The quicker we get out there, the quicker we leave."  
  
"Amen." Brass replied.  
  
They walked throughout the woods for 20 minutes, walking parallel to the road. "Ok, I don't see a dead body anywhere. What did this stoned anonymous caller say again?"  
  
"Not much, just that we would find a dead body on a platform in this forest." Jaci replied while looking at the trees in the distance. "I think we need to go in deeper."  
  
"Deeper? oh, noooo. We aren't going any further in because then we would get lost and then Grissom really will have a dead body in the forest. Two of them."  
  
Jaci waved off his reply and started to walk, this time away from the vicinity of the road. "If you were dumping a body, would you just drop it right by the freakin road??"  
  
"No... Damn it." Brass started after Jaci, but held up his phone first to check that the signal was still strong. It was. At least they would be able to call someone and tell them they were lost.  
  
So they continued to walk and search, occasionally uttering a random curse word when tripping over a rock or branch. The forest was massive and quiet except for the sounds of bugs and birds. "This place is kinda creepy. I feel like the bogeyman is going to run out and grab me." Jaci whispered.  
  
Brass just replied in an exaggerated whiny voice, "But Braaaasss. I think we should go deeeeeper."  
  
"Ok, maybe there isn't a DB out here. We can go, I guess." Jaci said, stopping.  
  
"Shit." Brass ignored Jaci's admission of defeat. Jaci noticed the strange look at his face and followed his gaze. There it was. A stone platform mostly covered in leaves, a mound form on top.  
  
"Uh. Ok. That's a platform. Now, is that a body?" Jaci asked.  
  
"I guess we will find out." Brass replied.  
  
The two detectives walked softly toward the platform. The word platform implies a solid, polished structure, while in fact; it was just numerous massive rocks piled on top of each other. A five foot flat rock was piled on top to serve as a bed of sort. As Jaci and Brass came closer they could see a human arm showing through the mud and leaves piled on the platform. They looked at each other and made just about the same "oh great" facial expression. Brass pulled out his cell phone and began to dial for the coroner. Jaci place her hand over his phone, "Uh, don't you think we should make sure it is an actual DB and not a dummy or something? I don't want to be the laughingstock of the entire department."  
  
"Too late, you already are. Yeah, ok. Go ahead, take a closer look."  
  
Jaci walked up to the edge of the rocks and leaned over the platform to try and see the face of the body. She leaned even closer, being careful not to actually touch anything. She looked first at the arm of the victim and continued toward the head. Along the way, she made out the shape of what appeared to be a breast. Female victim. Finally, she made out a mouth, then a nose through the muck. She was staring at the location where the eyes of the victim should have been. She didn't want to scrape any of the mud and leaves away and disturb the crime scene, so she opted to touch the arm of the victim lightly with the back of her hand to see if the body was cold. At the exact second she realized the body was warm, the platform crumbled. The ground beneath the body seemed to disappear with a huge roar of sound. Jaci was still staring at the body's face as the platform began to drop into the ground. She swore she saw the eyes of the victim open as she jumped out of the way of the sinking rocks.  
  
"Holy shit!! What did you do??!! Are you ok??" Brass yelled as he ran up to where Jaci and the body had been.  
  
Jaci was trying to stare into the huge hole left by the now crumbled platform. Dust was flying through the air like a thick cloud. Her mouth was hanging open. "I didn't DO anything!! I was looking at the body and touched her arm like this."She demonstrated on Brass' hand. "And then BOOM, all Hell breaks open." They watched as the dust began to settle slightly. The platform had fallen straight down. The naked body was laying face down now, having fallen to the right of the rock heap. The hole that was created was at least 7 feet deep and 4 feet wide.  
  
"So, it was a dead woman. DB in the forest. The pothead caller wasn't lying I guess." Brass said while staring over Jaci's shoulder at the body.  
  
"Uh, I don't know about that. I don't think she was dead. Well, maybe now, but not before." Jaci interjected.  
  
"Not dead? What the hell are you talking about?? She was just laying on top of rocks in the forest for FUN?"  
  
"I swear I think I saw her eyes open when I touched her." Jaci said, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"Whatever. I think you are just sleep deprived. Besides, people have weird muscle spasms right after they die. Maybe she just hadn't been dead long." Brass replied.  
  
"Yeah. Maybe." Jaci ended the discussion.  
  
"Well, shit. Grissom is going to pitch an absolute fit. So much for maintaining the crime scene. Shit." Brass began dialing his phone. "Damn it!! The damn reception sucks here."  
  
Jaci pulled out her phone and checked. "Yep, mine is screwed too. Walk back to the road?" Jaci asked.  
  
"Hell yes. Shit. Well, we will need to be there anyway to show the crew how to get out here." "Think it's safe to leave the scene?" Jaci asked  
  
"Uh, we're in the middle of the damn woods. I don't exactly see a million people walking around."  
  
"Ok, ok. Let's go. Maybe get you some air conditioning. You're getting cranky." Jaci smarted back. She gave the body in the ground one final questioning look and started walking.  
  
When they reach the road, she dialed Grissom's number. Her heart was still pounding. The sudden implosion of the ground had surprised the hell out of her. The long walk back didn't help her lung capacity either. After a couple of rings he answered 'Grissom'.  
  
"Hey, it's Parker. (deep breath) We found your body in the woods."  
  
Grissom responded in a disbelieving voice, 'You did?'  
  
"Yeah, you definitely need to come check this out." Jaci paused then added, "Oh, bring a ladder too. And either Nick or Warrick."  
  
'Mmm, those are pretty specific instructions.' Grissom replied with a question in his voice.  
  
"Well, let's just say there was some, uh, drama with the body." 'Drama?' Jaci, what happened?' Grissom asked, becoming rather concerned with her strange tone.  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Trust me, you'll understand when you get here. See ya in a bit." Jaci hung up before Grissom could interrogate her further.  
  
Grissom stood frowning at the cell phone in his hand. "Nick......."  
TBC.... 


	2. The Finding

AUTHOR: BeautifulPixy  
  
RATING: PG13  
  
SPOILERS: None  
  
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: donno when we'll get the next chapter up but as soon as we get it written it will be posted  
  
Enjoy!!  
  
Chapter2-Finding  
  
Grissom and Nick pulled up in the Tahoe to find Brass and Jaci sitting on the trunk of their car. Brass looked pissed off, Jaci looked, well, nervous actually. The detectives stood up and walked over to the Tahoe as the CSI's gather their kits.  
  
"You guys left the scene?" Grissom asked  
  
"Had to. Phone reception was shit. Besides.." Brass waved his hands around him, "Lonely forest, no people."  
  
"Ok, I still don't understand why we needed this.."Nick said as he was picking up a collapsible ladder. "And why did you request Warrick or me instead one of the girls?"  
  
"I promise you both will be enlightened shortly." Jaci replied looking at Grissom and Nick.  
  
"Start walking fellas." Brass called and headed into the woods.  
  
Throughout the walk, Grissom tried to ask questions, but neither detective would give a straight answer. He was beginning to get annoyed. The detectives suddenly stopped and stated that they were 'there'.  
  
"The caller said the body would be on a platform." Grissom said while looking around. "I don't see any platform."  
  
Brass cleared his throat and looked Jaci. "Well, there in lies the 'drama'. Wanna show them, Ms. Tomb Raider?"  
  
Jaci shot Brass a go-to-hell look and made a come here gesture with her hand to the guys. She pointed the guys in the direction of the "grave". "There is what's left of your platform."  
  
The CSI's walked over and looked down. Then Grissom asked "Why there is no body here?"  
  
"Excuse me? What did you say?" Brass asked as Jaci rushed to the graveside.  
  
"Son of a Bitch!!" Jaci exclaimed as she looked into the empty pit. She spun around pointing her finger at Brass. "I fuckin told you she wasn't dead!"  
  
Grissom and Nick felt like they were in the middle of a tennis match as the screams and accusations erupted between Brass and Jaci. Finally Grissom had had enough of all the mystery. He wanted answers. Now. "Will the two of you stop bitching and explain to me what the hell happened out here?"  
  
Jaci rubbed her face with her hands. She was so pissed. Stupid undead body in the freakin forest! "Ok, here is what happened. We found the platform, in one piece, with a body on top, all covered in mud and leaves and stuff. I walked over to check the vitals on the body..."  
  
Brass cut Jaci off mid-sentence. "And when she touched the body, the platform imploded, hence the grave."  
  
Grissom jerked his head toward Jaci, "You TOUCHED the body? Jesus, Jaci."  
  
"Goddammit, will you guys stop saying it like that?! You make it sound like I jumped on top of her or something." Jaci grabbed Grissom's wrist and lightly touched his hand with the back of hers. "That's how I touched her. I am not an idiot. I know how to check for vitals without messing things up."  
  
"Obviously." Brass snorted.  
  
Grissom waved his hand dismissively at both of them. "Whatever." He was obviously annoyed at the situation they found themselves in-a compromised crime scene with a missing body. "Dead or alive, the woman did not just crawl out of that.grave. She would surely have some type of broken bone from the fall. Where is she?" Pointing to the grave, "Nick, put the ladder to good use and take a look down there."  
  
Nick extended the ladder, and with Grissom's help, lowered it until it was sitting sturdy on the floor of the grave. He carefully descended the ladder and began milling around the rock pile. "Well, there is definitely not a body under here." He called back up to the crew above ground. Nick squatted on the ground. "Whoa. We do have some blood spots here though. Score one for your still living theory, Jaci." He stood up, backing away from the blood, trying to judge how the body would have been lying on the platform before it fell. "Maybe she busted her nose during the fall."  
  
"See anything else?" Grissom asked. "Footprints, grip marks in the walls?"  
  
Nick continued his overview of the scene. "No. How she got out of here, I have no idea." As soon as those words left his mouth, Nick stopped walking at the foot of the rock pile. "Wait a minute. I do have a footprint. It's heading toward the back wall here."  
  
Grissom took that moment to glance at Jaci, who was leaning over the pit with a slightly satisfied smile on her face. She had been right, it seemed the woman was alive. Jaci caught his stare and raised her eyebrows, as if to say "told you so". Grissom frowned and half shook his head, warning her not to celebrate too early.  
  
Nick was standing in front of the back wall. He had followed the footprints to the wall, where they mysteriously stopped. Nick frowned. There was no way the seemingly raised from the dead woman could have walked through a wall. Where did she go?? He slapped his hands against the wall in frustration. Instead of hearing a solid thud, he heard a hollow thunk. He slapped the wall again. Definitely hollow. "Uh, guys? I think we have a false wall here." He pushed against the dirt wall and was shocked when the wall pushed open like a door. He could not see inside, it was pitch black. He backed away and looked up at the anxious few staring down at him.  
  
"Griss, toss me a flashlight, would ya?" Nick called up.  
  
Grissom grabbed the light from his case and threw it down to Nick. "Is that opening like an old mine shaft?"  
  
"I don't think so. Mine shaft entrances are usually at the beginning of caves, not in the middle of a forest. This looks rather unprofessional." Nick answered.  
  
"Be careful, Nick. Anyone going to this much trouble to cut a tunnel in a forest may have booby trapped it." Grissom replied in a serious tone.  
  
Jaci was dumbfounded by the discovery of a tunnel. Could this scene get any stranger?! She had walked to the far end of the grave to get a better visual angle of where Nick was going. Nick had turned on the flashlight and started into the tunnel. Nick turned and smiled at Jaci, "I'll be back" he called out in his best Arnold voice. Jaci grinned widely and rolled her eyes and replied, "I'll be waiting." Grissom watched the exchange and tried not to smile. Some would have mistaken the looks between Jaci and Nick as romantic, but Grissom knew the truth. Jaci had once called Nick the "brother" she had never wanted but found anyway. She was an only child but really did count Nick as her kin. The two had gotten close over the past year or so, like best friends and Nick watched over her protectively just like an older brother. Nick thankfully also made Jaci loosen up a bit by goofing off with her, playing practical jokes on her. Grissom liked watching Jaci when she was around Nick. She smiled more, let her sense of humor wide open. It seemed like a bit of the seriousness that always surrounded her would evaporate for a while.  
  
Nick walked through the tunnel and all was quiet for about a minute. Then a deafening scream shattered the silence. The scream was followed by a loud 'thud', which sounded like someone being slammed into a wall, and then a groan. The scream was from a woman. The groan was from Nick.  
  
"Nick!!!!" Jaci yealled as she fell to her knees, trying to get a better look into the tunnel. "Nick!" she called out again. No answer, only the sound of a struggle inside the tunnel. Jaci threw a quick glance toward Grissom, who knew what she was going to do before she even moved. Jaci had drawn her gun and was heading down the ladder into the grave as another scream was released. Brass never doubted the action that Jaci would take either and knew telling her to stop would be useless. "Be careful, Jaci!" he shouted after her.  
  
Jaci leapt onto the bottom of the grave and quickly made her way toward the tunnel entrance, gun extended. From the moment the scream had erupted the same words began rolling through her head, over and over. 'Nick be ok, Nick be ok." Maybe if she said enough times, it would be true. She stood in the doorway, pausing to survey the space in front of her before she ran in. The tunnel was slightly illuminated from the flashlight lying on the dirt floor. She kicked the flashlight with her foot to point further into the tunnel. She could hear rapid hushed whispers ahead of her.  
  
As her eyes adjusted to the reduced light, she made out two forms. Nick was squatting on one side of the tunnel with his hands held toward a figure across from him. He was whispering, "It's okay. It's okay. Shhhh. It's okay." Jaci slowly approached them; gun still extended.  
  
"Nick." She said softly. "I need to hear that you are ok."  
  
Nick glanced at her quickly and returned his gaze to the opposite wall. "I'm ok, Jace. Put that gun away, ok?" "You sure that is a good idea?" Jaci replied. Inside she was so relieved that he was not hurt. Well, at least he sounded ok; she couldn't clearly see him.  
  
"It's alright, Jace. Can you go get the flashlight?" Nick was talking to her like you would to a toddler.  
  
She understood his tone. He was trying not to startle the whimpering form across from him. Jaci holstered her weapon and walked backward until she reached the flashlight. She retrieved it and pointed the light toward the second form. What Jaci saw caused her to lose her breath for moment. The naked girl was curled into a sitting fetal position with her side pressed into the wall. She was covered in dirt and bruises. Crying and shaking, she lifted her head only long enough to glance toward Jaci and wince at the bright light. She couldn't be more than twenty years old. Nick was trying to reach out to the girl, but every time he moved closer, the girl would scream and press herself against the wall harder, trying to melt away from him. Jaci realized the problem quickly. Nick was a male. The girl had obviously been the victim of something horrible, most likely a sexual assault. The last person she would want near her would be a male. As if utilizing an awful sense of timing, Brass picked that moment to shimmy down the ladder and call out from the tunnel entrance. The repeated screams had taken their toll on his ability to wait patiently above ground.  
  
"Jaci! Nick! What the hell is going on in there?" Brass yelled.  
  
Upon hearing another male voice, the girl screamed again. "Brass, shut up!!" Jaci hissed. "We're okay. Just stay there!"  
  
"Nick, the last thing she wants is to be in the company of males. Catch my drift? Toss me your shirt and you and Brass get out of here." Jaci whispered.  
  
Nick nodded quickly and began pulling off his t-shirt. "My gym bag is in the Tahoe. I've got some shorts in there."  
  
Jaci noticed that he had not made contact with the girl without sustaining slight injury. He was cut just above his left eye. "Nick, you're bleeding. Get that looked at, ok?"  
  
Nick lightly touched his eye, "I practically tripped over her. She rushed me and slammed me into the wall. Surprisingly strong."  
  
"Well, she is acting on pure adrenaline now. When that wears off, she'll crash." Jaci responded. Nick handed the shirt to Jaci, gave the girl one last look and took off toward the daylight.  
  
Jaci squatted a few feet from the quivering girl. "See? No more guys around. No one is going to hurt you, I promise. You're safe now." The girl looked up slightly. Jaci noticed that the girl's nose was indeed busted. She held the shirt out toward the girl. "Here. Put this on." The girl stared at the detective and then grabbed the shirt, quickly pulling it over her head. "Can you tell me your name? I'm Jaci. I'm a detective."  
  
The girl wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Becca," she whispered.  
  
"Ok, Becca. Honey, we need to get you out of here. Can you walk?" Jaci asked.  
  
"Kinda." The girl replied.  
  
"I need you to walk with me to the edge of the tunnel ok? Before this flashlight burns out. My friend Nick is bringing you more clothes. Don't worry, we aren't walking out of this place until you are fully clothed and ready ok?"  
  
Becca nodded and Jaci helped pull her to her feet. They walked together to just before tunnel entrance. Jaci wanted to make sure no one could see the girl from above ground. "I need to talk to my friends for a moment ok? I am going to be right in front of you. Just sit down here." Becca grabbed Jaci's hand. "Don't leave me." She pleaded. "I am not leaving you, Becca. I am trying to get you some help. You'll be able to see me from here, ok? I promise I will not leave you out here."  
  
Jaci emerged from the tunnel and looked above her. Brass and Nick were gone, leaving just Grissom. She placed her finger to her lips and pointed her finger toward the far end of the pit. Jaci climbed half way up the ladder, while Grissom squatted near the edge so they could talk.  
  
"They went back to the cars, call for an ambulance." Grissom started. "Nick said we are dealing with a rape victim?"  
  
"She has definitely been beaten up. I'm guessing at rape due to the fact that she is naked and her violent reaction to men." Jaci glanced around the pit. "This is so much more than a rape. Some sicko went to a lot of trouble to set all this up."  
  
"Well, the tunnel could have been in place already. Don't assume that whoever raped her and left her here actually dug the pit." Grissom noted.  
  
"Yeah, I know all about what happens when I assume things. I assumed touching her wouldn't open a path to Hell." A serious look crept across Jaci's face. "I am so sorry about screwing up your crime scene, Griss. That was a rookie mistake."  
  
Grissom shook his head, "No, that platform had to be rigged somehow. Once we get the victim out, Nick and I will figure out how. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Becca. Her name is Becca. That's all I could get out of her right now. Didn't want to throw a barrage of questions at her.  
  
TBC... 


	3. Broken Spirit

AUTHOR: BeautifulPixy  
  
RATING: PG13  
  
SPOILERS: None  
  
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Re posted b/c it was the wrong freakin version of chapter 3  
  
Enjoy!!  
  
Chapter 3 Broken Spirit  
  
The ambulance arrived. At the request of Becca, Jaci rode to the hospital with her, leaving Grissom and Nick to rummage through the scene for an explanation of what had happened there. Brass knew there was no way in hell he would be riding with the victim, so Jaci managed to get Becca's last name for him before they left. Brass had the task of finding out about the life and times of Becca Rogers.  
  
The ride to the hospital was quite. Becca had begun to relax a bit once they were on the road. Perhaps she realized that her trauma was over, she was safe. Or perhaps having Jaci and her .40 caliber Beretta near by eased her fear. If anyone attempted to hurt her now, they might die trying. Jaci asked only general questions, not wanting to rush the process. She learned that Becca was twenty years old, a Las Vegas native, and did not have any family that she wished to be contacted. She explained that she was an only child and her parents had died in an automobile accident last year. She worked at a bookstore and asked that Jaci call her boss to explain her absences. Jaci assured her that the explanation given would be very vague. Becca nodded her thanks.  
  
After they arrived at the hospital, Becca was taken away to be examined. Jaci expected Becca to protest, but she was obviously too tired to put up any more of a fight. Almost an hour later, the doctor returned and talked with Jaci, confirming that Becca had in fact been raped. She also had sustained numerous bruises and cuts, a sprained ankle, several bruised ribs, and two broken fingers. Jaci mentally added a broken spirit, a damaged psyche, and an everlasting distrust of people knowing that no one would mention those items on an official list of injuries.  
  
Becca was now being given pain meds and would be unable to answer questions for the rest of the night. Jaci stuck her head in the private room where the girl lay, to say goodbye. Becca was crying softly, she tried to hide her face when she saw that Jaci was watching. At the sight of the girl, Jaci felt like a hand was squeezing her heart. The dirt had been wiped away but that only allowed the bruises to stand out more clearly. The handprints of her attacker(s) could be seen on her arms, where she had been held down. Jaci walked to the side of the bed.  
  
"Hey. Shhhhhhhh. It's all over now." Jaci said in a soft voice.  
  
Becca wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. The two broken fingers on her right hand stuck up, taped together. "I'm such a mess. This is such a mess. What I have I done?"  
  
"You haven't done anything, Becca. This is not your fault." Jaci replied.  
  
"How can you say that? You don't know what happened...don't know me."  
  
"You're right. I don't know, but I have a pretty good idea of what happened. And you didn't deserve any of that. No matter what I learn about you, Becca. Okay?"  
  
Becca was gripping the blanket. She looked up at Jaci with piercing eyes, "I'm not an angel. You should know that."  
  
Jaci nodded. "And you should know that I lost my wings a long time ago too. Now try to get some rest and I will see you in the morning. We can talk about all this then. Will you talk to me tomorrow?"  
  
Becca just shrugged and looked down at the bed. Jaci pulled a card from her pocket and placed it on the nightstand. "That's my card, it has all my numbers listed on it. If you need anything, you can call me, alright? Seriously, anything at all, you call me." Becca nodded her head slightly. "Ok, I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Jaci backed away from the bed and started toward the door.  
  
"Jaci?" Becca said softly. Jaci turned and raised her eyebrows. "Will you stay with me? Just, just until I fall asleep?"  
  
"Absolutely." Jaci replied and sat back down by the bed. Several minutes passed and the drugs pulled Becca toward sleep. Jaci was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought, when Becca spoke abruptly. "These are going to be crooked." Jaci saw the girl staring at her broken fingers. "Just like a football player's." The girl added, frowning. Jaci smiled and held up her own right hand. She tensed her fingers, her fourth finger bending unnaturally. Becca's eyebrows raised, "How did you break yours?"  
  
"Playing football. I always was a bit of a tomboy." Jaci replied sheepishly. Becca smiled slightly and dozed off.  
  
Jaci left the hospital and headed back to the crime lab. She needed to find Brass to give him an update on the situation. She figured he should have at least some vague details of Becca's life by now. Plus, she wanted to know what Grissom and Nick had learned about the forest scene. Jaci got lucky and found all three men in a layout room.  
  
"Hey guys." Jaci said as she walked in the room.  
  
Brass glanced at his watch as he spoke, "It's about time."  
  
Jaci waved him off as she walked over to get a closer look at the now bandaged cut above Nick's eye. "You know hospitals, don't get in a hurry for anyone." She left out the part about her spending the last hour waiting for Becca to fall asleep. Grissom and Brass were not big fans of extended personal contact with victims.  
  
"Amen to that. That's why I just had Griss throw a butterfly stitch on this thing." Nick said, pointing to his eye.  
  
"So? What did the doctor tell you?" Brass asked.  
  
"Confirmation of the obvious. She was definitely raped. Plus took a beating, lots of bruises, a few broken bones." Jaci pulled up a seat around the table the guys were seated around.  
  
"Geez. I hate having to break that news to parents." Brass replied.  
  
Jaci had her head in her hands, eyes closed, massaging her forehead. All the day's excitement had given her a headache. "Well, you don't have to worry about it this time. Her parents are dead. Killed in a car accident last year."  
  
Grissom had been tapping his pencil on the tabletop. After hearing Jaci's statement he abruptly stopped and raised his eyebrows at Brass across the table. "Uh, did Becca tell you that about her parents?" Brass asked warily.  
  
"Who else, Brass? I didn't make it up on my own." Jaci smarted off, her head still down.  
  
"Well, I think she did. Her parents are not dead, they are very much alive." Brass looked down at his notes. "Stan and Marcy Rogers. 7913 Remington Court."  
  
Nick let out a whistle. "Remington Court? Apparently they are alive and loaded!"  
  
Jaci's head shot up. "Are you sure? I mean Rogers is a pretty common name.."  
  
"I'm sure. What else did she tell you?" Brass asked Jaci.  
  
"That she was twenty years old, lived here in Vegas, and worked in a bookstore. She asked me to call her boss and excuse her absence. And that bit about dead parents."  
  
"So, she left out the part about a criminal record?' Brass asked with smile. "You're shitting me.." Jaci leaned back in her chair.  
  
"Miss Becca was busted last year for minor in possession of alcohol and a controlled substance, pot to be exact. I was just about to go talk with her infamous parents. Coming?" Brass asked as he headed toward the door.  
  
"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to miss that." Jaci replied.  
  
After Brass had left the room, Jaci remained seated, lost in thought momentarily. "Becca did tell me one other thing."  
  
Grissom asked, "What was that?"  
  
"That she was no angel." Jaci replied with a sad smile.  
  
Grissom shrugged, "Well, she was truthful about something."  
  
TBC... 


	4. Getting to know you

AUTHOR: BeautifulPixy  
  
RATING: PG13  
  
SPOILERS: None  
  
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: not sure when we'll get the next chapter but hopefully it will be soon. And please please review we live for them  
  
Enjoy!!  
  
Chapter 4 - Getting to know you  
  
Brass walked back into the room at the same moment Jaci walked out of the door, causing the two to slam into each other.  
  
"Damn, Brass. I was coming! You didn't have to come back and get me." Jaci announced with annoyance.  
  
"Yes, I did. I just got a page. You're going to have to talk to the beloved parents. Here is their address." Brass scribbled the info on a piece of paper. Looking past Jaci, Brass asked, "Hey, Grissom. You mind tagging along with her?" He glanced back at Jaci and winked at her.  
  
Grissom shrugged, "I don't mind."  
  
Jaci glanced at the address. "You know, Brass. Her parents might not even talk to us. We'll be driving a Chevy after all." Jaci said in a mock concerned voice.  
  
Brass frowned at her, but then laughed after he thought about the cars that would be parked in the driveways, would not be a Chevy or Ford in sight. Just BMW's, Mercedes, Cadillacs. "Well, if they get snotty with you, drag them downtown for the interview. Bet that will put a crimp in their racket ball schedule."  
  
Grissom and Jaci loaded into the Tahoe. Normally, Jaci would have fought for driving privileges, but she was too tired. The neighborhood was almost 45 minutes away, when you factored in traffic, so the drive would at least allow her some relaxation. She leaned back into the seat and stared down the road, expecting to listen to the radio or make small talk. After 15 minutes of complete silence, she was irritated.  
  
She finally rolled her head over toward her traveling companion. He had only one relaxed hand on the wheel, which Jaci thought was uncharacteristic of him. He struck her as being extremely careful at all times, the type that really had never run with scissors in his hand. He caught her staring at him.  
  
"What? Am I speeding?" he asked, glancing down at the speedometer.  
  
"Doubt it...anyway, I just had you figured for a 10 and 2 type guy" she simulated the correct driving position with her hands.  
  
Grissom just shrugged and turned back to the road.  
  
"Are you always this insanely quiet?" she asked  
  
"I thought you were tired." He countered.  
  
"I am, but if we stay this quiet, I'm just going to start re-thinking everything I've already been over for the millionth time with this case. I am tired of thinking. Do you mind if I turn on the radio? You know, I don't think the radio in my car has been turned off since the day I bought it."  
  
Grissom shook his head "I can't remember the last time my radio was turned on."  
  
"Well, lets just see if it still works.." Jaci began flipping through the stations frantically.  
  
"How can you even tell what is playing by flipping that fast?"  
  
Annoyed, Jaci purposely slowed down and pushed the seek button. A song filled the car. Jaci looked over at Grissom and paused a few seconds. "That one sucks." She reached for the seek button in slow motion and hit it. Again, she gave the song time to play and again announced, "That one sucks too." She repeated the process twice more before an Oasis song began to play. She looked over at Grissom again.  
  
"Sucks?" he asked in mild annoyance.  
  
"Nope, we have a winner." She gave a fake smile, which actually caused Grissom to give a slight real smile.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness." He replied. She wrinkled her nose at him.  
  
A few more moments of silence passed. Jaci tapped her fingers along with the music. Grissom stared down the road. Again, Jaci rolled her head in his direction and raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Sooooo?" she asked.  
  
"Sooooo what?" he mocked  
  
"So let's talk."  
  
He stared blankly at her.  
  
"Ah. Just what I expected. I've been told that you have problems with relating to people, you know you don't like to talk and all. Actually, I've heard a lot of rumors about you." "Dare I ask?" he replied evenly.  
  
"Well, some I know to be true, like your reputation for being a great scientist and investigator, I've seen that first hand.."  
  
"Well, thank you for the compliment. I think."  
  
"And as I learned the other day, your office really is full of dead animals in jars, so that one is verified. That just leaves a couple more." She paused to see if he would take the bait.  
  
"Is this the part where I beg to hear the rest of the rumors?" he answered sarcastically.  
  
"Yep! Ok, lets see- there's one that has you as a Buddhist, one that says you eat bugs on a regular basis and one that says you sleep in a coffin during the day. Wanna clarify those?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"Not really, but just so you don't lose any sleep, I am not a Buddhist and I certainly do not sleep in a coffin, I prefer a nice normal bed like everyone else in the world."  
  
"What about the bug eating thing? You skipped that one." She reminded.  
  
"Oh, that one is true." He paused and smiled as her face turned to a grimace.  
  
"Grasshoppers matter-of-fact. Dipped in chocolate. You should try one, they're quite tasty." He added, hoping to totally gross her out.  
  
"Chocolate covered huh? Well, I suppose if you pour enough chocolate on it, anything could be bearable." She added with a shrug.  
  
"Ok, what about you? Nick said something about your Tuesday activities?" He raised his eyebrows. It was her turn to face the firing squad.  
  
"What did he say?" she asked with obvious concern.  
  
He might really have something here, judging by her reaction. "Well, he said if you were late meeting me, that you would have a very good reason, you had a special, uh, appointment on Tuesdays. You have a dinner date every Tuesday evening?"  
  
"Nick talks too much." She paused trying to figure out how much of the truth to tell him. "Well, it isn't a dinner date, I don't have time for that."  
  
He watched her shift uncomfortably in the seat and bite her lip. "Hey, you don't have to tell me, if it's too personal." Lord knew he hated to talk about himself, had those rumors she had mentioned actually been of a deep personal nature, he would not have answered her at all.  
  
She decided to tell him the whole truth since he had been such a good sport about his own rumors. Jaci didn't want to stop the flow of conversation by clamming up on his inquiry. He might actually laugh at the situation.  
  
"Uh, you're gonna laugh about this, or at least I really hope you do. I have Anger Management classes every Tuesday." There. She said it. Now she hoped his reaction was favorable. She didn't want him to think she was some hot-headed, over-emotional chick that went looking for trouble. She wanted him to respect her.  
  
"You? Have Anger Management class? Is that like voluntary?" He seemed shocked that she would ever have an outburst that would require such a class. Sure, they had butted heads a few times working cases together, but she hadn't been violent.  
  
"I have to go, it's kinda mandatory for awhile. You probably heard what happened."  
  
"No, I didn't hear what happened. Care to elaborate?" he replied.  
  
"Well, that damn Ecklie is such a jackass." She started to explain.  
  
"Ecklie's involved in this?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, you know I used to work mostly during the day, so I relied on the dayshift CSI crew. Well, on one particular case, Ecklie and I were having problems about him holding up evidence processing. He was holding on to some stuff trying to come up with some grand theory before he would tell me the results. It had been a really tough day and I just wanted to look over the stuff and go home and instead I have to listen to his yammering on and on about how I would get the info when he was good and ready to let me see it,, blah, blah, blah. I was so pissed at him because he annoys me pretty much all the time anyway but I really didn't need his crap that day. So, I was going to follow him around until he finally gave up and just let me see the results. That really ticked him off and he popped off something like 'I don't need to be followed around by a freakin detective, let alone a woman. You damn women should learn some patience.'  
  
Grissom could only imagine how Catherine or Sara would react in that situation and muttered, "Uh-oh."  
  
"Yeah, uh-oh is right. Then he said,' so why don't you just sit your ass down and wait!' And that's where I pretty much lost it. I remember saying 'Why don't you go fuck yourself?' And then it was pretty much a screaming match. I couldn't get a word in over his yelling and the next thing I know I am throwing my coffee mug at him." She glanced at Grissom, trying to judge his reaction.  
  
Grissom was both amused and stunned. Amused because if anyone needed to be hit upside the head, it was Ecklie, but stunned that Jaci would lose her temper so much as to actually do that. "Well, I guess that was pretty unprofessional, of both of you."  
  
"Exactly, I knew I had messed up, so after I cooled down, I went back to apologize and just smooth things over but the little weasel had already ran crying to Brass."  
  
"And what did Brass say to him?" Grissom knew Brass wasn't exactly the biggest Ecklie-lover on the planet.  
  
"Brass laughed at him. Told him to be glad I hadn't actually aimed at him. So then he went up the ladder and told the whole thing to Mobley, only leaving out all his no-no's. So I got yelled at and now I am stuck with anger management classes until Mobley thinks I have learned my lesson. Which" Jaci finished and waited for Grissom's reply. "Now that I think of it, I remember Brass mentioning this, but he didn't say which detective had done it. Are the classes, ah, helpful?" Grissom smiled, knowing that most of those classes were a giant waste of time.  
  
Jaci laughed and replied as if reading from a script, "Yes,sir. The classes are extremely helpful. I have learned to completely control my anger and respect the opinions of others, no matter how much they conflict with my own views. Is that the right answer, professor?" She asked with a smile.  
  
"Word for word. Look, we're here. We've dispelled enough rumors for one day, don't you think? Ready to go to work?" Grissom parked the Tahoe.  
  
TBC.. 


End file.
